Saturday’s home win over Swansea City had not long finished and the defender, the matchwinner, with the captain’s armband still strapped around his left bicep, was being led around the pitch with his teammates by head coach Rob Edwards, acknowledging the support of the crowd and celebrating their opening day victory.
It was then that Fry noticed a young supporter holding up a sign in the crowd.
“I saw a poster saying ‘Dael Fry, 10 years’ and it made me think how far I’ve come, from being a young lad to captaining your hometown team,” says the defender.
“It made me tear up actually. It’s something I’m really proud of.
“It was just a random sign I saw and I just thought ‘wow’. I really appreciate it. Sometimes it’s easy to be tunnel vision but to be recognised like that means so much.”
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Saturday’s game was exactly 10 years to the day since Fry made his Boro debut as a 17-year-old at Preston.
More than 250 appearances have since followed yet for Fry the feeling of pride when he pulls on the shirt of his boyhood club has never faded and never will.
It was six years ago that Fry first captained Boro but the joy he felt that day at Bristol City was matched on Saturday when he walked into the Riverside dressing room and saw the armband on his peg.
“I made my debut 17 year old, I’ll never forget it, Preston away 0-0,” he says.
“To make one appearance is very special but to make more than 250 and be here 10 years is something I’m so proud of.
“To put the shirt on is special. We have loads of leaders, whether I wear the armband or not, I’ll give it everything for this club.
“But of course it’s nice to have the armband. When I came in the dressing room and saw it on my peg I was over the moon.
“I feel like I’m definitely more experienced now. Over the years I’ve been more reserved but now I’m an experienced pro and have played more than 250 games for Middlesbrough.
“I do see myself as a leader. There are a few leaders in the dressing room – Aidan Morris, Luke Ayling, Darragh Lenihan – so to be captain means a lot.
“To captain my hometown club, get a clean sheet and get the goal, it couldn’t have gone any better.”
The scenes at full-time demonstrated just how much it meant to Edwards.
“The manager has tasted promotion and he said ‘you have to celebrate these wins’,” explained Fry afterwards.
“And we should do. We’ve worked hard for that.
“It’s fantastic to applaud the fans like we did at full-time because we want to bring the fans closer this year.
“We’re going to need them and they were fantastic today.”
Fry has seen it all at Boro, and being a Teessider and living in the town, knows that expectations among supporters going into the season aren’t as high as what they have been previously.
But the defender doesn’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing.
“You see things and hear people speak about us saying they don’t think we’re going to be up there competing,” admitted the centre-half.
“It feels like there’s going to be a bit less pressure this year, but sometimes when it’s like that you see yourself as underdogs.
“We have more than enough in this squad, we have a fantastic squad, so there’s no reason we can’t be up there.
“There’s a lot of competition but I think we’ll give it a really good shot this year.”
